NFL notebook: Eagles to host Falcons on opening night

[April 20, 2018]  The reigning Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles will kick off the NFL season with a Thursday night game on Sept. 8 against the visiting Atlanta Falcons, the league announced Thursday while revealing the full 2018 schedule.

The AFC champion New England Patriots will open at home against the Houston Texans on Sept. 9. The Patriots and the Jaguars will meet in a rematch of last season's AFC title game on Sept. 16. New England will play at night five times in a seven-game span from Sept. 23-Nov. 4.

England will get a first-hand look at the champs when the Eagles face the Jacksonville Jaguars on Oct. 28 at London's Wembley Stadium. In other London action, the Oakland Raiders will oppose the Seattle Seahawks on Oct. 14 at Tottenham Hotspur's new stadium, and the Los Angeles Chargers and Tennessee Titans will meet on Oct. 21 at Wembley.

The Los Angeles Rams and the Kansas City Chiefs will play in Mexico City on Nov. 19. The game at Estadio Azteca will be the league's second Monday night contest in the nation's capital. The Raiders and Houston Texans met there in 2016, with Oakland posting a 27-20 win.

--The New York Giants have released wide receiver Brandon Marshall with a failed physical designation, general manager Dave Gettleman confirmed.

Marshall is recovering from surgery on his left ankle that limited him to five games in 2017, his first season with the Giants after joining the team on a two-year, $11 million deal last offseason. His release clears more than $5.1 million from New York's salary cap, leaving $1 million in dead money.

The 34-year-old finished his 12th NFL season with 18 catches for 154 yards and no touchdowns, marking the first time in his career that he failed to catch a touchdown or appear in at least 13 games in a campaign.

--Defensive end Dwight Freeney is officially retiring as a member of the Indianapolis Colts, the team announced.

Freeney, 38, played 11 seasons for the Colts, earning seven Pro Bowl appearances and three first-team All-Pro nods in that span. A formal press conference will be held Monday in Indianapolis.

The 11th overall pick in 2002, Freeney tallied 107.5 sacks and 43 forced fumbles in 163 games (143 starts) with the Colts, ranking only behind ex-teammate Robert Mathis (123.0) in both categories for the franchise record. His 125.5 career sacks are tied with Terrell Suggs for 17th on the NFL's all-time list.

--A week away from the 2018 NFL Draft, Cleveland Browns general manager John Dorsey told reporters that he remains open to "all options" with the No. 1 and No. 4 overall picks.

Dorsey stepped carefully around questions asking about who his top-ranked quarterback is or who the team will take first overall, repeatedly falling back on the phrase "the draft is seven days away."

Most have considered USC quarterback Sam Darnold the favorite to go No. 1 for the last several weeks, but Wyoming quarterback Josh Allen's name has gained steam recently. When asked about a Sports Illustrated report that a person close to Dorsey said the GM would take Allen, Dorsey emphasized his lack of contact with the outside world during draft season.

--Giants general manager Gettleman doesn't feel any pressure to draft a quarterback with the No. 2 overall pick despite the chance to take one high and the advancing age of Eli Manning.

Gettleman told reporters that the idea that he must use the rare opportunity to take a signal-caller is "hogwash." He spoke about the dangers of zeroing in on the position and potentially making a bad decision.

"When you're picking this high, if you make a mistake -- if you miss on a quarterback, you've hurt the franchise for probably five years," he said when asked about the importance of succeeding with the No. 2 pick. "It's a five-year mistake."

--Texans defensive end J.J. Watt was named to Time magazine's list of the 100 most influential people.

The list recognizes the activism, innovation and achievement of the most influential individuals in the world.

Watt is singled out for his efforts helping the city of Houston recover from Hurricane Harvey. The 29-year-old raised over $37 million to help relief efforts after the storm devastated Houston and more of the southwest. He originally hoped to raise $200,000. For his work, Watt was selected as the NFL's Walter Payton Man of the Year in February.

--The Arizona Cardinals signed journeyman cornerback Marcus Williams to a one-year contract.

Williams, 27, split last season between the New York Jets (five games) and Houston Texans (10) and had 18 tackles and one interception.

Williams spent his first three NFL seasons (2014-16) with the Jets. His best season was in 2015, when he had six interceptions. Overall, Williams has 95 tackles, 10 interceptions and two forced fumbles in 49 career NFL games (15 starts).

--Tampa Bay Buccaneers linebacker Kendell Beckwith had surgery this week to repair a fractured ankle suffered last week in a single-car accident near his home in Louisiana, Bucs general manager Jason Licht announced.

Beckwith will miss the team's offseason program and likely some of training camp, and the Bucs are hopeful he will be ready for Week 1.

Beckwith, 23, played in all 16 games (nine starts) as a rookie third-round pick in 2017, collecting 73 tackles, two passes defensed and a sack. His NFL debut was his first in-game action since suffering a torn anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee in November of 2016 during his senior season at LSU.

--Field Level Media

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